A manager took a lift down a building late at night after staying back in his office to clear his work. Half way down on one of the floors, a masked man entered the lift and jammed its door with a big wooden box. Turning to the manager, he said: "I come, I talk, I rob. I prefer talks first and action later. Hand over your diamond watch."

However, the manager refused to give up his watch without a fight. The robber said: "The potential use of force over the watch does not resolve our differences and will only lead to bigger disasters. Negotiation is the sensible choice for both parties. Hand over your watch now!"

The manager still refused to surrender his watch. Then the robber drew a pistol from his pocket and said: "I am against the use of force. Dialogue is the best option for resolving all problems. Surrender your watch at once."

The manager said: "If you disarm yourself by handing over your pistol, I shall hand over my watch in exchange."

The robber drew a dagger from the other pocket with his left hand, and said: "You seem to take this pistol as a toy. To prove that it is a real gun would be a very noisy and regrettable affair. I can sever your hand silently with this dagger, but I still prefer a negotiated solution."

Not only did the manager surrender his watch, he also took off his trousers and handed them over as demanded by the robber. Kicking away the wooden box, the robber set the lift in motion again. Before disappearing into the darkness on the ground floor, he said jokingly: "Dialogue and negotiations are the only way out for your watch and trousers. Good night, my friend. Sleep well."

Next morning the office employees discovered their half-naked manager cowering in the lift. The wooden box was found to be empty, and his trousers were recovered a few hundred metres away from the office building.